Car-coupling.



M. W. KIRKLAND.

GAR COUPLING.

PatentedMay 21, 1912.

\ iu l y m x l 3 7 WITNESSES BY A ATTQRNEVS UNITED STATES PigrENr OFFICE.

MARTIN WILTON KIRKLAND, OF ABBEVILLE, ALABAMA.

CAR-COUPLING.

of Abbeville, in the county of Henry and State of Alabama, have invented a new and Improved Car-Coupler, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

guide lip 3.

This inven'tion relates to car couplers, and the-ob ect of the invention is to produce a coupler of simple construction which will couple automatically when the cars are brought together, but which can be readily operated from the side of the coupler so as to disconnect the coupler when desired.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts to be more fully described hereinafter and particularly set forth in the claim. I Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure taken th-rougha carcoupler constructed according to my invention; 2 is a horizontal section through the coupler; and. Fig.

is a cross section taken on the line .3-3 of Fig. 1.

Referring more particularly to the parts, 1 1, represent the coupler heads which are similar construction. Each coupler is formed with a deep mouth 2 which extends back into the interior thereof longitudinally, and this mouth is formed on its forward and lower side with an inclined or curved At the upper edge of this lip 3, an angular notch 4 is formed, and beyond this notch, a downwardly extending recess 5 is formed in the lower part of the coupler head, as indicated. Through this recess 5 a transverse pin 6 passesfwhich pin secures in positiona link 7. The body of this link 7 is disposed in a substantially horizontal position and forms a tongue projecting over the mouth of thecoupler, as indicated. The rear part of the link is formed into a laterally otfset shank or arm 8 which extends down into-the recess 5 and is attachedto the pivot pin, as shown. Each. tongue 7 r is formed at its forward end with a bill 9, presenting an inclined or curved edge 1.0. At

the point where the notch 4 intersects with substantially horizontal position when the Specification of Letters Patent.

1 is a vertical longitudinal section from moving longitudinally.

cars are being brought together to couple them. As the cars come together, the edges '10 strike the lips 3 and the ends ofthe tongues become elevated so thatthe free end of each tongue passes into the mouthof the opposite coupler.

latentedMay 21, 1912. Application filed July 1, 1909. Serial no. 505,348.

On the lower edge of each tongue near its f outer extremity, that is, near the, bill 9, a

downwardly projecting tooth 12 is formed, which presents a vertical shoulder 13, and

this tooth 12 drops down. into the notch 4, as

indicated, by the action of gravity on the links. As shown in Fig. 2, the links are dis,- posed side by side. In this way, when the cars have been coupled, two links are presented connecting the coupler heads. In order to release-the links, I provide in the rear ends of the coupler heads,'hori zontal transverse releasing shafts 14. Theseshafts project considerably beyond the coupler heads, as shown,- and are provided with handles or levers 15 which project inwardl that'is, they project toward each other." n the rear portion of each mouth 2-, a dog plate or dog 16 is mounted, and these dogs rest respectively upon ment to the pins 6. Inthis way the dogs 16 are brought directly under, the projecting. bills 9 of the l-inks.. The dogs 16 integral therewith, and the ends of these sleeves lie adjacent to the side walls of the coupler heads so as to prevent the shaft 14 When it is desired to release the links, the handles or levers 15 are moved upwardly, and this raises the dogs 16 under the bills 9. The dogs engage the edges 10 of the bills and raise them so as to disengage the teeth 12 from the notches 4. The cars canthen be moved apart and the tongues will then descend to their normal position, being supported on the rests or edges 11. At the points where theshafts 14 receive the sleeves 18, theyare formed with square necks 19,

the laterally extending 'hubs 17 of the links at their point of attachave elon gated hubs or sleeves 18 which are formed as indicated in Fig. 1. This angular form of the neck prevents the dog from rotating except when the shaft rotates, and insures a rigid connection between; the shaft and the dog. If the dogs 16 hold the links 7 in an elevated p os1- tion. the cars may be brought together without becoming coupled to ether. On account of the arrangement of t e pins 6 it will be evident that the links 7 tend by gravity to levers 15 are held up so that the hold their teeth 12 in engagement with the notches 4, as each link tends to swing downwardly at its free end.

Having thus described my invention I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Iatent,-

A car coupler comprising a head having a mouth provided with an inclined guide lip at the lower edge thereof and with a-transverserib at the inner edge of the guide lip, a link provided at one end with an angular portion having a bearing, a head having an opening at the rear of the guide lip for receiving the angular portion, said portion being of such length that when the link rests upon the guide lip, the said link will be in substantial horizontal position and in position for entering the mouth of the adjacent head, a pivot pin engaging the bearing and the head to'hold the link in place, said link 20 jacent coupler to lift the same.

In testimony'whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of 39 two subscribing witnesses.

IVitnesses J. M. SoILoMoN, G120. B. SKIPPER. 

